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Re:Zero AU — Chapter 3: The Bowel Hunter
The air thickened with menace as Elsa stepped fully into the lantern glow. Every detail about her screamed danger—the deliberate grace of her steps, the gleam of steel in her hand, the hungry curve of her smile.
Subaru's gut clenched. He had faced thugs earlier, but this was different. This woman wasn't playing around. She radiated the kind of confidence only a seasoned killer could wear.
"Who…" Subaru forced the words out, "…the hell are you?"
Elsa tilted her head, raven hair sliding across her face. "Oh, me? Just someone who loves the sound of innards spilling across the floor."
Subaru's breath caught. The casual cruelty in her tone sent chills through him.
"Stay behind me," Emilia said firmly, stepping forward. Her insignia clutched tight in one hand, her other raised. Mana swirled faintly around her fingers, a sharp chill filling the air.
Elsa's eyes lit up, hungry. "Oh… a half-elf. With such a pretty soul. How delightful."
Emilia's expression tightened, but she didn't flinch.
Subaru felt his pulse hammering in his ears. The old him—the coward, the shut-in—would have run. But not now. He clenched his fists, feeling the latent strength coursing through his veins, the mana surging just beneath his skin.
This time, he'd fight.
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Elsa lunged without warning, a blur of black and steel. Her dagger sliced through the air with terrifying speed.
Subaru barely had time to react. Instinct and his sharpened reflexes screamed at once, and he ducked low, the blade missing by inches. His body moved faster than he thought possible, his doubled stamina carrying him into a roll.
He came up on his feet, heart pounding. "Shit, she's fast—!"
Emilia was already chanting. Crystals of ice formed midair, sharp and glittering, launching toward Elsa in a volley.
But Elsa danced between them, her movements serpentine, unnatural. She slipped through the assault like water through fingers, closing in on Emilia.
"No you don't!" Subaru roared, charging forward.
He threw a punch with all his weight behind it. His fist connected with Elsa's forearm as she raised her dagger, the impact sharp enough to jar his bones. The sheer force made her stumble back a half-step—surprise flickering across her face.
"Oh? Not just a useless boy after all."
Subaru's knuckles throbbed, but exhilaration surged through him. He had actually made her move.
Felt shrieked from behind, clambering back toward Rom, who had hefted his massive club. The old man's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening. "Girl, stay back. This one ain't your average cutpurse."
Elsa's smile widened. "You flatter me, old man."
She darted again, this time toward Subaru. He braced, trying to recall the stances he'd glimpsed from knights in the street, the training moves Rem had shown him during brief clashes in other loops—half-formed, instinctive. His body felt different now, sharper, stronger, each death layering instinct and clarity over his movements.
He sidestepped her slash, barely, and lashed out with a kick. It wasn't graceful, but it carried weight. Elsa twisted, the strike grazing her ribs instead of landing clean, but even that forced her back.
Her grin sharpened. "You really are interesting. Stronger than you look. But strength alone won't save you."
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The room exploded into chaos.
Rom swung his club in a brutal arc, aiming to crush her outright. Elsa slipped beneath it, slicing his arm as she passed. Blood sprayed, Rom grunting but holding his ground.
"Rom!" Felt screamed, her small hands clenching uselessly.
Emilia answered with another spell, shards of ice spiraling like a storm. Elsa vaulted onto a table, evading most, her blade flashing to deflect the rest.
Subaru seized the moment, channeling mana to his fingertips. He had no training, but raw instinct surged—a spark of wind magic flaring to life. It wasn't refined, just a burst of force, but it caught Elsa mid-leap and threw her off-balance.
She landed lightly, but her smirk faltered, just for an instant.
"Well, well. You're full of surprises."
Subaru panted, sweat stinging his eyes. His body thrummed with energy, his mana pool vast but clumsy in his hands. Every movement burned, but he refused to back down.
"Not… done yet," he spat.
Elsa's eyes gleamed. "Good. Neither am I."
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The battle dragged on, a dance of blood and ice, brute force and precision. Subaru moved with growing confidence, his strikes sharper, his dodges cleaner. Rom's crushing swings forced Elsa to adjust, while Emilia's spells lit the room with glittering frost.
Still, Elsa was relentless. Cuts opened on Subaru's arms, shallow but burning. Rom staggered from his wound, his swings slowing. Emilia's mana strained, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
And Elsa only smiled wider.
"You're all so fun to play with," she cooed, licking blood from her blade. "But it's time I got serious."
Subaru's gut tightened. He could feel it—she'd been holding back.
Before she could move, the door burst open.
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"Stand down."
The voice was calm, firm, absolute.
A figure stepped into the room, tall and radiant in knight's garb. A sword rested easily at his side, though its presence seemed more divine relic than mere weapon. His blue hair glinted in the lanternlight, eyes sharp and unwavering.
Reinhardt van Astrea.
The room shifted as if the world itself bowed to him.
Elsa froze mid-step, her smile twitching. "Well… this is unexpected."
Reinhardt's gaze swept the room, taking in the blood, the wounded, the fear. His eyes settled on Elsa, and in that moment, Subaru swore the air itself held its breath.
"You've spilled enough blood tonight," Reinhardt said softly. "Leave, or face judgment."
For the first time, Elsa's composure wavered. She tilted her head, considering. Then, slowly, she licked her lips.
"…Next time, then."
And like smoke, she slipped away, vanishing into the shadows as though she'd never been there.
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Silence settled heavy.
Rom collapsed into a chair, clutching his arm. Felt rushed to his side, worry etched across her face. Emilia exhaled shakily, relief and exhaustion mingling.
Subaru dropped to one knee, chest heaving. His body ached, every cut burning, but he was alive. Alive, and he'd held his own.
Reinhardt stepped forward, his presence steady, reassuring. He checked Rom's wound with efficient care, then glanced at Subaru.
"You fought well," he said simply.
Subaru blinked, stunned. "…Me? I barely scratched her."
"You stood your ground against Elsa Granhiert. That alone is remarkable." Reinhardt's expression softened, just slightly. "Most men would have been gutted in seconds."
Warmth flickered in Subaru's chest at the praise. Coming from Reinhardt—this world's strongest—it meant more than he could put into words.
Still, he couldn't shake the frustration. Elsa had left alive. And he had been powerless to stop her.
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Later, as Rom's wound was bandaged and the loot house calmed, Subaru sat apart, staring at his hands.
They were bruised, cut, smeared with blood. But they hadn't trembled.
Every death, every failure, had carved him sharper. Stronger. Faster. He could feel it—the doubling, the power compounding with each loop. Even now, it thrummed beneath his skin, waiting to be harnessed.
But against Elsa… it hadn't been enough.
His jaw tightened. "Next time," he whispered. "Next time I'll be stronger."
Emilia approached quietly, her presence soft. She sat beside him, offering a faint smile.
"You were reckless," she said, though her tone lacked bite.
Subaru huffed a laugh. "Guess that's my thing. But… thanks. For trusting me out there."
Her violet eyes lingered on him, curious, almost searching. "…There's something different about you."
Subaru froze, forcing a grin. "Different good, I hope."
Emilia tilted her head, then looked away, letting it drop. "Rest. You'll need it."
As she walked back to the others, Subaru stared after her, his thoughts a tangled storm.
Different. Yeah. She had no idea.
And he couldn't tell her. Not about death. Not about the loops. Not about the power building inside him, doubling each time he fell.
It was his secret. His curse. His weapon.
And one day, it would be strong enough to surpass even Reinhardt.
For now, though, Subaru leaned back, exhaustion pulling at him. His fists ached, his body screamed, but beneath it all, a fire burned steady.
The world had tried to break him.
But he wasn't done fighting.
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Chapter 3 — End